Pelicans Guard Eric Gordon Out Indefinitely With Torn Labrum In Shoulder

Anthony Davis’ already massive burden just got a bit bigger. The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that starting shooting guard Eric Gordon will be sidelined indefinitely after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder during the team’s win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

Via the team’s website:

An MRI revealed Gordon suffered a torn labrum as a result of the left shoulder subluxation injury that occurred Saturday night at Utah.

Gordon will undergo further evaluation throughout this week by the team’s medical staff to determine the best course of action moving forward. More details will be released as they become available.

No decision has been made on whether or not the injury will require surgery. Either way, it seems likely Gordon will be sidelined several weeks at the very, very least:

The oft-injured 25 year-old got off to a dreadful start in 2014-2015 by making just four of his first 26 shots and misfiring on nine consecutive three point attempts before a make, but seemed to be coming around of late. Gordon was working on a string of four consecutive double-figure scoring games and was on his way to another before leaving in the early going against Utah.

Despite Gordon’s past reputation as an offensive force, though, where his absence will hurt New Orleans most is on the other end. The two players most likely to see increased roles while he’s out – Austin Rivers and Jimmer Fredette – lack the physical attributes that make Gordon a solid defender. And though this gives Monty Williams the chance to more frequently utilize the tantalizing Ryan Anderson-Davis-Omer Asik trio, doing so would only exacerbate defensive concerns while further depleting the Pelicans’ scoring punch off the bench.

This isn’t a wholly deflating loss, but New Orleans’ status as a fringe playoff contender in the loaded Western Conference makes any rotational shuffle loom especially large. The silver lining is that Gordon’s injury history means that the Pelicans have prior knowledge to lean on while dealing with his absence. It bears mentioning, too, that Rivers is off to a nice start this season after a dreadful rookie campaign.

Still, New Orleans’ road to the postseason is certainly rockier now than it was two days ago.

What do you think?

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